Electric devices are often subject to thermal conditions that vary over a wide range. As such, it is important for manufacturers of electric devices to test the electric devices in varying thermal conditions, including thermal conditions that are known or expected to exist in the places where the electric devices are to be deployed. For example, if an electrical device is to be deployed in an environment where the temperature may raise to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then it would be important to test the electrical device's operation in an environment whose temperature reaches at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and to monitor the electrical device's performance in such an environment.
Often, electrical devices are subject to thermal stimuli that directly contact the electrical devices. For example, an electrical device may be mounted in a chassis, enclosure or other fixture such that the electrical device directly contacts the fixture, where the fixture's temperature is known to vary over a wide range. In cases like this, it would also be important to test how the electrical device performs as the fixture's temperature varies over a range.
Traditional techniques for testing electrical devices in varying thermal conditions include placing an assembly or circuit board carrying the electrical device under test on top of, under, or between thermal plates, where the thermal plates are horizontally oriented with respect to the electrical device under test and where the temperature of the thermal plates can be controlled. This approach, however, does not allow for the simultaneous testing of multiple assemblies or boards. In addition, this approach also does not accurately predict how the electrical device under test will perform when the electrical device under test is deployed in a configuration where only the edges of the assembly or board directly contact a fixture.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.